Device for supporting items inside a medicine cabinet



May 26, 1959 J. A. TEAs, JR 2,888,l46

Dsvxcfi: FoR suPPoRTING I'rEMs msm: A MEDICINE GABINET..

Filed Sept. 12, 1957 R. O W W W ;za w f f ATI'ORNEK UnitedA States Patent O DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING ITEMS INSIDE A MEDICINE CABINET John A. Teas, Jr., Des Moines, Iowa Application September 12, 1957, Serial No. 683,499

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-86) This invention relates to supporting brackets, and more particularly to a device for usein a medicine cabinet for detachably holding tube products, razor blades, razors, toothbrushes, and like.

Perhaps no compartment is more crowded than that of a bathroom medicine cabinet. Such cabinets have horizontal shelves which are usually stacked with tubes and various toilet articles. The result is that it is difficult to retrieve or even find the item desired. Furthermore, items often accidentally fall from the shelves when the cabinet door is opened.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a bracket for the shelf of a bathroom cabinet that is capable of supporting tubes of material, such as toothpaste or shaving cream, and manually operated instruments, such as safety razors, toothbrushes, or like.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tube and instrument holder for shelves that may be easily and quickly secured to the shelf or removed therefrom.

'A still further object of this invention is to provide an item holder for medicine cabinets that is fabricated from a single sheet of metal, plastic, or like.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a tube and instrument support for bathroom cabinet shelves that will not only conserve space within the cabinet but will hold the items in such a position that they are easily seen and capable of being quickly removed or replaced.

Still further objects of this invention are to provide a supporting bracket for the shelves of medicine cabinets that is economical in manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance.

These and other objects wil'l be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device showing its position on a shelf,

Fig. 2 is a reduced perspective bottom view of my holder and more fully illustrates its construction,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the device illustrating its position on a shelf and illustrating its support of a Safety razor, a tube of material, a package of razor blades, and a toothbrush,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of my device taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of my bracket means and illustrates its support of a tube, a razor, and a toothbrush.

In these drawings I use the vnumeral'10 to designate an elongated detachable shelf ,of an ordinary bath-room medicine cabinet. It is to such a shelf that I install my device and which I will describe in detail.

In the manufacture of my device, I take an elongated rectangular strip of metal and bend the two end portions 2,888,146 Patented May 26, 1959 of this strip of metal upwardly to provide the Vertical end walls 11 and 12. I next bend the upper end portions of each of these walls 11 and 12 inwardly, horizontally and toward each other, to provide flange portions 13 and 14, as shown in Fig. 1. The bottom horizontal portion eX- tending between the end walls 11 and 12 is designated by the numeral 15. In one side area of the portion 15 I cut two pairs of slits to produce the two tongue portions 16 and 17. Each of these tongues 16 and 17 are bent to extend first vertically downwardly, and then horizontally inwardly toward the center longitudinal plane of the device, as shown in Fig. 2. By so bending the tongue portions 16 and 17, two open rectangular notches 18 and 19 are provided as shown in Fig. 5. On the other side portion of the portion 15, I also cut two pairs of slits to produce the two tongues 20 and 21. These 'two tongues 20 and 21 are also bent first directly vertically downwardly and then laterally horizontally inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of the device. By this construction the free end of the tongue 16 meets the free end of the tongue 20, and the free end of the tongue 17 meets the free end of the tongue 21. These tongues therefore provide with each other two rectangular open end trough portions forming a trough for receiving and holding razor blades, or a package of razor blades 22, directly below fthe center portion 15, as shown in Fig. 3.

When the device is installed, the open ends of these razor blade supports face the user, thereby making the razor blades, or package, easily removed or replaced. This is furtherfacilitated by the two pairs of adjacent tongues being spaced apart and thereby providing a space between them, as shown in Fig. 2. By bending the two tongues 20 and 21 downwardly and inwardly, two notches 24 and 25 are formed in the right side portion of the portion 15, as shown in Fig. 5. However, in cutting the two pairs of slits to make the two tongues 20` and 21, each pair of slits eXte'nds inwardly and toward each other so that the notch openings 24 and 25 will be of V-outline. By this structure, the notc'h openings 24 and 25 will be reduced in width as they extend inwardly, and therefore are particularly adapted for receiving and holding capped tubes 26 of toothpas'te, shaving cream, or like.

To place a tube into one of the notches 24 or 25, it is merely necessary to partially loosen its cap 28 and place the tube in the notch with its body portion below the portion 15 and its cap above the portion 15, as shown in Fig. 4. The diameter of the threaded neck of the tube Will determine its distance into the entrance way of one of the notches 24 or 25. With the cap of the tube of greater diameter than that of the receiving notch, the tube will be suspended below my bracket, as shown in Fig. 3. Also, by the notches 24 and 25 being tapered, they will successfully receive and hold difierent sizes of tubes. The notches 18 and 19 are particularly adapted for receiving and holding safety razors or like 29, as shown in Fig. 4.

To install my device, it is merely necessary to remove the shelf 10 and slide it laterally through my device, as shown in Fig. 1. After the shelf has been replaced, the fianges 13 and 14 will 'bear on the upper surface of the shelf and thereby support my bracket means below the shelf, as shown in Fig. 3. Due to the height of the end portions 11 and 12, the center portion 15 will be spaced a substantial distance 'below the bottom of the shelf 10, thereby creating the compartment 30. This compartment 30 accommodates the head of the razor and the caps of the tubes. This compartment 30 may also be used for other purposes such as the receiving and holding of a toothbrush 31.

From the above, it will be appreciated that my entire device is of one piece and may be completely formed from one elongated rectangular Sheet of metal. It, however, may be cast or fabricated from any suitable material such as plastic, metal, pottery or Wood.

With my device residing below the shelf 10, the top of the shelf is free and available for other medicine cabinet items. All items being supported by my bracket means of course are easily observable and easy to remove or replace.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my device for supporting items inside a medicine cabinet without departin,7 from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical eqnivalents which may vbe reasonably included within their scope:

I claim:

l. In combination, a shelf and an article support means, comprising, a fiat horizontal center section, a Vertical wall at one end of said center section, an inwardly extending horizontal flange on the upper end of said wall extending over the top of said shelf, a second Vertical wall at the Other end of said center section, an inwardly extending horizontal flange on the upper end of said second wall extending over the top of said shelf; said center section being spaced apart from and below said shelf, and a tongue cut and bent from each side area of said center section creating an article receiving notch in each side area of said center section; said two tongues bent first downwardly and then horizontally inwardly toward eaoh other to form with said center section an article receiving trough open at both ends.

2. In combination, a shelf and an article support means, comprising, a fiat horizontal center section, a Vertical wall at one end of said center section, an inwardly extending horizontal fiange on the upper end of said wall extending over the top of said shelf, a second Vertical wall at the other end of said center section, an inwardly extending horizontal fiange on the upper end of said second wall extending over the top of said shelf; said center section being spaced apart from and below said shelf, and a tongue cut and 'bent from each side area of said center section creating an article receiving notch in each side area of said center section; said two tongues bent first downwardly and then horizontally inwardly toward each other to form with said center section an article receiving trough open at both ends; one of the notches in one side of said center section being V-shaped and the other said notch in the other side of said center section being of rectangular Shape.

3. In combination, a shelf and an article support means, comprising, a fiat horizontal center section, a Vertical wall at one end of said center section, an inwardly extending horizontal fiange on the upper end of said Wall extending over the top of said shelf, a second Vertical wall at the other end of said center section, an inwardly extending horizontal flange on the upper end of said second wall extending over the top of said shelf; said center section being spaced apart from and below said shelf, and a tongue cut and 'bent from each side area of said center section creating an article receiving notch in each side area of said center section; said two tongues bent downwardly and inwardly to provide the sides and bottom of an open end trough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,225,329 Barnes Dec. 17, 1940 2,248,916 Opper July 8, 1941 2,5l2,502 Paschell June 20, 1950 2,753,054 Becher July 3, 1956 2,81l,260 Goldstein Oct. 29, 1957 

